Improvement in harvesters



HEB Simms Pnrnrrr IMPROVEMENT 1N trai-r,vnsrnns.V

i Specification forming part of Lctters'Patent No. 64,818, dated May 14, 1867.

To all whom #may concern .f

Be it known that I, WILLIAM N. WHITELEY, Jr.,- of Springfield, in the county of Clark and State of Ohio, have invented anew and useful Improvement in Harvesters, and I do hereby declare the` following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, in which;

Figure lisa plan view of my machine, with the drivers foot-board and seat removed. Fig. 2 is an-'elevation of the outer side of th'e inachine, the bearing-wheel on that side being reinoved. Fig. 3`is` a rear elevation of my machine. Fig. 4 is 'ahorizontal section of the coupling-arm and the axisupon which it moves, V showing also the position and connection ofV the cutters crank-shaft. Fig. 5 is a front elevation of the frame and drivers foot-board, showing the lever which throws the liftingscrew in and out of gear.

The machine presented in this application is a combined reaper and mower, and my application is made in two divisions, to cover by separate patents the construction of frame and attachments, and the construction and operation of rake, reel, and platform with attachments. v

My invention, as presented in this application, consists, tirst,.in the construction and arrangement of parts ofthe main frame; second,v

in construction and arrangementot' the sector-plates and coupling-arms, whereby great strength and stiffness are obtained without increase ot' size. and weight; third, in construction and arrangement of the coupling-arm which connects the cutting apparatus to the main frame; fourth, in the devices for raising, lowering, and controlling the cutting apparatus.

Thatothers may understand my invention, I

`will particularly describe it.

dispneemeutwin be resisten by the-solid frame ofthe machine surrounding the hub ofthe plate H, and the `-only use for bolts will be to keep the plate H in place and to prevent it from turning on its axis; The bearings of the pinionshaft being in the center of the plate H, and not 'otherwise connected to the main frame,

must always be constant in relative' position.

The driving bevel-gear G is placed loosely upon the axle B, and is made to revolve `with said axle by slipping over the clutch-pin D, which is rigidly fixed in the shaft. The gearwheel C is controlled by the clutch-lever E,

which moves it to or from the clutch-pin, and at Athe same time in or out ofmesh with the crank-shaft pinion F, so that when the gearwheel C is loose upon the shaft B it is also free from its pinion F. The stop-link G, Figs. 1 and 3, retains the gear-wheel G in either position,

as desired.

The edges of the circular plates 'H H extend beyond those portions which are in contact with the main frame, so as to'form a flange or rim, as shown in Figs. 1 and 3. The shaft B projects beyond the main frame and the plates H I-I, and has upon each of its ,endsa pinion with proper clutch-gear, said pinionslneshing with v the gear-rims ofthe bearing-wheels I I.

the coupling-arm J, which is a straight bar or plate withfa cross-head and a hole for the passage oi' the pinion-shaft. The two ends of the 'cross-head and one end-oil the plate are made to embrace and clasp over the edge of the plate H, as shown in Figs. 1 and 3. The couplingarm J will then revolve around the center of the pinion-shaft B, but not upon said shaft as an axis. That end of the arm .I toward the cross-headis extended somewhat beyond the edge of theA plate ISL-and upon this extended endv is placed the axle ot' the bearing-wheel I,

which may then-rise and fallV in the arc of a circle,of which the axis of the shaft B, with `the pinions at its ends, is the center, and so that said pinions and the cog-rims of the bearingwheels will never be out of mesh whatever may be the position of the bearing-wheel in respect to the shaft B and its pinions.

The arm J is retained in any desired position by a pin inserted through it and into one .of a series of hole's provided for the purpose. The

levers K I are secured to the arms J, tcfacili- Error...

Upon the face oi' each of the plates H H is Y tate the raising and lowering of the axles of At the rear ond of the main frame A is the stout horizontal stud or axle K, Fig. 4. This stud is cast solid with the frame A, and iscored out so as to forma tubular box for the' cuttcrs crank-shaft L. The outer surface of the stud l( is tapering and made true, so as to i'orm an axial bearing for the coupling-arm M, by which the cutting apparatus is connected to the main frame. The couplingarm M consists of a. stout hub which is secured upon the axlestnd K and two lateral arms, M M. 'The arm M' extends'iroin the rear end ofthe hub downward, curving' at the' same time toward the cutting apparatus and backward so as to bring its broad surface horizontal. It may be strengthened by ribs if necessary. The end oflll is extended horizontally suicently far to alford a secure attachment for the iinger-bar ofthe cutting apparatus.

The arm M projects from the upper part ofA the rear end of the hub, laterally toward the cutting apparatus, its broad side being about vertical audits direction slightly inclined up ward. ing for the reel-shaft and its accompanying devices, as will bc fully explained in the other division of this application.

-It is required in every machine having a ilexible cnttin g apparatus that it should be u`n der the control ofthe attendant, so that he can raise it from the ground either wholly or one end only, at will, and it is also desirable that it should be within the power ot' the attendant to render its connection with the -main frame rigid. These conditions I accomplish in the l'ollowin g manner: Around the base of the hub M is the worurgear N, and meshing with it thev worm-screw O, operated by a crank, as shown in Figs. 1,2, and 3. When the worm-screw O is in mesh with the worm-gear N, then the outer end of the cutting.;` apparatus can be `raised or lowered and held rigidly at any point; and.-

when it is not in mesh with the Worin-gear Ny, then the outer end of the cutting apparatus may rise and fall with the undulations of the ground over which it is drawn. The worm=. screw M may be thrown in or out of gearby `the lever l, upon the rear end of which it is mounted. The lever P is pivoted to the main frame A at lt, and is operated by the hand. levergSyor its equivalent, which is provided To its outer end is attached the bear!l with a stop-pin, T, Fig. 5,*by which it is retained in the position to bring the wornrscrew in gear or'out of gear, as desired.

rlhe hook U., bolted to the main frame and projecting' behind the flange V', which is upon' the base ofthe hub of M, as shown in Fig. 1, prevents the coupling-arm lliroui slipping from its'axial stud K. y

.At the 'front of the machine is the flexible tongue lW', the verticalposition ot' which in regard to the main f 'rameA is controlled by the, attendant, and changed at will by means ol'.

the levcrX. By depressing the rear end oi' this tongue Vthe front end of the main frame is also depressed, and the rear end ofthe same,

.together with the cutting apparatus, is raised.

They may be retained in this position by a pin inserted through one of the holes in the strap Y .into the front edge ofthe dri vers foot-boa rd,

as shown in Fig. 2. By this meanswhen mowing, the inner end of the cutting apparatus'may be raised to pass clear of any obstruction without raising the other end of said apparatus from the ground and. when reaping, the inner end may be permanentlyretained atthe de sired height, whileA the outer end may be sup. ported as is common upon a grain-wheel.

The worm-screw Z, near the rear end'ot the 'crank-shaft L, is intended to drive the reel and automatic rake, when such are used. It forms no part ofthe invention as included in this application.

Having described my invent ion, what [claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, 1s-

1. rlhe coupling-arm J, in combination with the circular platell, substantially as and i'or the purpose seti'orth. ,A i

-2. The couplingarm J, constructed t0 clasp the sector-plate l1' at three points so as not to depend upon the pinion-shal-t for its center o1' 3.-'lhe coupling-arm lll, mounted and uovl ing upon the horizontal, hollow, axial stud K, through which passes the cutters crank-shaft, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

4. The hook U, in combination with thetlange 

